IVF with intralipids, steroids, aspirin and heparin...?!?! Anyone else?

[GillAwaiting]

Blimey Gill, sounds like you're having a hard time. How come you've got arthritis? Is that something you had anyway? I had a bout of arthralgia once and it was agony - poor you x

The arthritis is really weird. It hasnt bothered me for years. I was living in the U.S for a couple of years and found the climate change did absolute wonders. When I came back to Ireland I only had the odd twinge in my hands. But now three years on, I came off the steroids and bang! Every single joint in my body is fecked. It's pretty horrendous. I can't sleep because it aches to much and Im so stiff to move. Can't do stairs, can't get out of chairs, put on socks.... It's the freakiest thing. It was never this bad. Im hoping it will go with pregnancy. But nevermind that because at least bambino seems to be doing ok and that is the most important thing right now! I can't believe this is happening still. It's very surreal.

 

[Reb S]

Have you seen a rheumatologist? Or are you waiting till after the pregnancy to see if it just goes? Glad bambino is doing so well though!
AFM - day one due any day, down reg has had no symptoms this time - weird - last time it was a disaster!

 

[GillAwaiting]

Have you seen a rheumatologist? Or are you waiting till after the pregnancy to see if it just goes? Glad bambino is doing so well though!
AFM - day one due any day, down reg has had no symptoms this time - weird - last time it was a disaster!

How you getting on Reb? Have you started??

 

[Reb S]

Hi Gill! Yes, I'm stimming now, on day 5 and just off to my scan. I'll let you know how I go. Then I have to start the steroids tomorrow, urk yuk. Still no symptoms. If my last IVF had been like this, I probably would have tried again last year. Oh well...
How're you doing?! x

 

[_Nell]

Gill - sorry to hear your in so much pain with the arthritis, but great news all is well with baby - will you find out gender?

Reb - great that your cycle is giving you less side effects, it makes all the difference I think in helping you mentally get through it. Hope your scan went well.

AFM: Well coming out of the woodwork as per my signature, I can't shake the ropey start but I have to try put my positive head on now else I'm going to drive myself insane waiting the next couple of weeks for my viability scan.
I'm totally symptomless and the last couple of days i've even had my usual brown gunky spotting I get every cycle for a week before AF.....but I do have hcg in my blood and for now it's rising, so I am apparently pregnant

 

[Reb S]

OMG!!!! Nell, that's great, great news! So pleased for you. My scan seemed fine - lots of follies growing, albeit a bit small so far. FXd.

 

[GillAwaiting]

Nell this looks so promising! How is it going. I see you are waiting on a viability scan. Oh my god my fingers are crossed for you. Do let us know how you are doing.

Reb, what's the story? How are you getting on???

 

[Reb S]

Hi ladies! EC was yesterday - they got 21 crappy eggs! Only 6 fertilized, but I'll take 6! OH's sample was his best ever as well! Hooray! We were able to do IVF rather than ICSI. Op was easy, hospital great - the cycle has been SO easy compared to the last disaster. Just about to do my first Clexane injection, urk - doesn't seem as easy as the Gonal pens. Hoping to get one to blast for Tuesday ET, but if not they will just pop back what's left on Sunday.
How're you two girls getting on? I'm hoping that Gill, you're not still feeling scared, and that Nell, your arthritis is too bad and you've already had your viability scan and all is well...x

 

[_Nell]

Hi

Reb - you sound in good spirits and yay for 6 eggs, fingers crossed they are divinding nicely now. Hope your clexane went ok? I find nice and slow and gentle is the best way for me to avoid too many big bruises from them.

Gill - how are you doing? I can't believe your 23 weeks now

I had my scan yesterday and we saw a heartbeat
Unfortunately I am measuring behind, by 6 days - up to 5 days ahead or behind is normal, so I'm a little outside normal but at least there was a heartbeat.

Gill - can I ask what dose of steroids you were on? and how long/when did you wean off them? I'm a bit unclear if the aim is to be off them at 12 wks or if that's when I start to taper....i'm on 40mg so it's going to take a while i think.

 

[Reb S]

Ooh, Nell - there's a HB!!! that's good news. Don't worry about the days - nothing you can do but keep hoping xxx
Do you Clexane into tummy fat or thigh? My tummy is still sore and lumpy from the first shot yesterday! Can't imagine it's going to last very long..!

 

[_Nell]

Reb, I'm still going in my tummy. The skin has thickened from too many injections and it's quite hard to push the needle in and feels quite horrid tbh.
There was a point where I almost ran out of space bruise wise after stimms, but many seem to have cleared now or at least faded.

I am going to switch to my thigh I think, but I go on holiday next weekend and belly bruises look bad enough without thigh bruises (might look like i've been assaulted?) so my plan is to switch to thighs on my return and until then try muddle through finding belly spots - i've sort of moved to the bit of skin at the very side, almost just in front of my hip bone.
I don't actually know where on the thigh you do it - is it the inner thigh?

Gill - Can I ask another Q - did you facial hair disappear after the steroids? I've just noticed the first few darker hairs appear on my top lip, I assume from the prednisolone. I've bought some veet to lighten them but hope they're not here for good!

 

[Reb S]

The nurses said I could just do it in the fatty bit of my thigh, where I was doing my stims - then the Clexane paperwork said do it in your tummy. I think I'll ask again when I go in , cos tummy sure hurts more than I think thigh will...!

 

[_Nell]

ooh did you do stimms in your thigh? I wish I had known that was ok as my tummy could have done with a break after 4 cycles.

I would have thought injecting in the thigs would hurt, so it's good to know it doesn't

How are your embryos doing? Have you got a transfer dsy yet?

 

[Reb S]

Yes - Tuesday! Hopefully making it to blastocyst. We've got 2 grade 1 8 cells; 2 grade 1 7 cells; 1 grade 2 7 cells and a little 5 cell. Not bad! x
Yes, I did all my stimms in my thigh - much nicer. Will ask about clexane. Yuk. hate it. ouch.

 

[_Nell]

wow your little embryos are doing just great

I'm so pleased this cycle is going well for you

 

[_Nell]

Hi Reb, just wishing to lots of luck for transfer today, hope all went smoothly

 

[GillAwaiting]

Hi Nell and Reb, wow major things happening around here!!
Nell about the steroids, I just followed my gut instinct really. I think I really should have been off them by 12 weeks but I had tons of the stuff so I stayed on them fully until 12 weeks and then weaned off over the next 2 weeks. Bad news on the hair front. My hair is falling out in buckets from my head but the stuff on my face seems to be staying put!!! The bloating all went down and stuff though. Even though Im well on now in pregnancy I dont look half as bloated as I did with the steroids. About being a few days behind. I was constantly worrying about this because things were up an down. Behind, then ahead, then behind... Also my 2nd miscarriage, we got a heartbeat but things didn't progress so that made me worry. When can you do another scan? If you do one a week later that will tell you buckets. Even if you have to pay for it, it's worth it. Im thinking of you and hoping you are just in the same boat and things will be up and down in little growth spurts. At least you are on the right drugs now to help things tick along.
Reb hope the transfer went ok today. The waiting is the worst torture. Hope the next 2 weeks go by quickly and brilliant news coming at the end of it.
Im rooting for you guys big time.
AFM arthritis still kicking my butt and Im getting bigger so movement is very difficult! Like a chicken sitting on an egg. Still nervous as hell. Went to baby fair and bought nothing. Still terrified!!
Fingers crossed for you guys.xx

 

[Reb S]

Hi Gill, I'm sorry about the hair and the arthritis situation - that sucks. I'm sure your hair will thicken up again but it changes with pregnancy and birth anyway, so I'm told. I hope you can get some peace soon and be able to enjoy this pregnancy a bit! x
Nell - thanks things went okay - there was a dodgy moment this morning as they hadn't progressed to blastocyst - it was touch and go as to whether there was going to be anything to transfer. However one made it - a 2BC, which isn't great, but not bad - and a morula was transfered too, as it had potential. So 2 little beans on board, test next Thursday xxx

 

[lizlemon]

Good luck Rebs, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you! I'm going to have to use heparin and aspirin next time too xxx

 

[Reb S]

Hi Liz, lovely to hear for you! I hope you're doing okay - what's the latest news with you? Aspirin is fine, steroids are fine, heparin hurts! The needle is tougher than some and the blooming stuff stings as it goes in, then keeps stinging for about five minutes. I have lots of little blood blisters all over my tum, but only 2 bruises, so I think I'm quite an expert! I do have to grit my teeth though, makes the IVF shots a breeze! xx